Good morning, my brothers! I kept getting prompted to reach out to someone, but I never did. Now, I’ll never get the chance again. Don’t miss your opportunities as I did. Let’s go! 4-min, 59-sec read.

Listen to the audio version here:

Last week, I was shocked and saddened to learn that Greg, a good friend since high school, had died of cancer. I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know he was sick.

We stayed close for years, especially early in our careers, when we both worked with our dads and lived in our hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. He was a constant source of encouragement to me and so many others. Looking back, he almost always reached out first, especially after I moved to Wilmington.

These last few months, he kept coming to mind. I meant to check in with him. I didn’t.

That's a regret I'll carry for a long time.

He Went First

Maybe there's a name on your heart right now. An old friend. A brother. A coworker. A son we haven't really talked to since Christmas. A father we haven't spoken to in years. We tell ourselves we'll call when things slow down, or that we'll talk when he calls.

Sometimes we never get that chance.

On His last night with His disciples, Jesus didn't wait. He got up from the table, took the towel, and knelt before Peter, who'd deny Him, and Judas, who'd sell Him out. And the other ten men who would soon scatter. He didn’t just kneel before them. He washed their feet. He went first, showing His love by serving them.

Years later, John, who was in that room, wrote this:

Seven words. Look at who leads and who follows. Our love never starts the story. It's our response. Before we ever reached for Him, He'd already come down, knelt on the floor, washed not only our feet but our whole being, and gone all the way to the cross for men like us who still deny Him at times.

That means we shouldn’t keep track of whose turn it is. We were loved first. Going first is just passing it on. We should always be the ones who make the first move, following Jesus' example.

Make the Call

So here's the action this week. Think of the man who keeps coming to mind, the one you keep meaning to reach out to. Don't wait for a better time. Call him today.

Maybe it's to thank him and tell him one specific way he's helped you. Maybe it's to ask for forgiveness. Maybe it's to take the first step toward rekindling a friendship.

Maybe it’s your wife or a child you need to take the initiative with. Real men go first, humbly, in the home.

Whatever it is, go first. Always. He already did.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for loving me first, before I ever gave You a reason to. Forgive me for the calls I didn't make. Bring one man to mind today, and give me the courage to go first. Make me more like Jesus. Amen.

-Will

More The Man is free because monthly supporters choose to keep it that way. A few dollars a month helps us reach guys still looking to grow closer to Jesus. Would you prayerfully consider Paying It Forward? THANK YOU!